The heavyweight meeting of Randy Couture and Antonio Nogueira may be the
headline act at UFC 102 in Portland, Oregon, this weekend, yet the contest
at middleweight between Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia is one being debated
intensely by the mixed martial community.

Marquardt, 30, with a record of 28-8-2, pitches his all-round MMA style - striking, wrestling, grappling - against the unbeaten Brazilian Damien Maia, whom many believe, with his sublime jiu-jitsu, could become the modern-day equivalent of Royce Gracie.

We are likely to find out in this contest if Maia can step upwards and onwards to the plate.

The winner of Marquardt/Maia could yet meet UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, at present the supreme champion in the mixed martial arts organisation, following his stunning stoppage - at light-heavyweight - of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 earlier this month.

Marquardt, immensely strong, and large at the weight, ought to be a genuine handful for Maia, who has shown exquisite jiu-jitsu skills to sweep all before him to become a fighter considered by many as a genuine middleweight title contender after five straight wins in the UFC, and yet to be defeated in a 10-fight mixed martial arts career.

In this fight, we will find out if that is the case. Can he handle a bigger, stronger fighter, a level up from his previous opponents?

“Maia is a great fighter and is undefeated. Anybody with his kind of credentials, both in MMA and pure jiu-jitsu competitions, needs to be respected,” said Marquardt.

“He’s (Maia) a great fighter, and definitely one of the best on the ground, but this fight is not going to be just a ground fight. It’s not a jiu-jitsu tournament. This is mixed martial arts and a real fight.

"I see myself as the better and more rounded fighter. I just need to ensure I fight well on the night, not get caught in anything silly and then look for the finish. I believe I can finish him inside the distance.”

Marquardt believes he could be getting Maia at the perfect time into his UFC career.

“Yes, I think I could be getting Demian at the right time. He’s won all his fights in the UFC, a lot of the fans like what he’s doing and he’s being touted as a guy ready for a title shot. Demian’s undefeated, sure, but I don’t think Demian has ever fought anyone near my calibre before, and that may well be the reason he’s still unbeaten.”

The American believes that a step up in class for Maia could tell.

“For a guy with his style, I think the jump up in class will make a big difference. Demian’s not as well-rounded as other mixed martial artists out there and I think he may just reach a level where his jiu-jitsu skills can no longer win him fights.

"So far in his career he’s been fine, as he’s been able to take guys to the ground and submit them with ease. He’s basically overwhelmed a lot of guys with his jiu-jitsu control.

“Overall, though, I feel that I’m the better fighter and see this fight coming down to who fights to their potential on the night. If I fight to my true potential on the night, I don’t see Maia beating me.

“Maia is somewhat one-dimensional in what he does. He does have some takedowns that he executes well, and he scored a nice takedown against Chael Sonnen. Chael’s a good fighter and that was an impressive win for Demian.

"Maia also throws some hard punches in the stand-up, though I’m confident he’ll be too slow to catch me. However, his main danger is, of course, his jiu-jitsu and grappling skills.”

Marquardt is hungry, too, for a second tilt at Silva, the UFC middleweight title holder who defeated him by TKO 4 minutes 50 seconds into round one at UFC 73 in California two years ago.

“Maia is undefeated in the UFC and in his career and a lot of the fans want to see him fight for the title. At the same time, though, a lot of fans also want to see me fight for the title. That’s what makes it a natural fight. It’s a big fight for the middleweight division, but I’m just treating it the same as any other.”

The American believes his experience will tell over the Brazilian.

“The thing is, as great as he’s looking right now, Demian is still very inexperienced as a mixed martial artist. A lot of people don’t realise just how important it is to be well-rounded and adjustable when you move up in class.

"If you’re a one-dimensional fighter entering the top level of competition you’re only going to get caught out.”